Factors impacting fertility anxiety among Chinese young women with marital status differences

BACKGROUND: China's societal and cultural significance placed on female fertility and the changing roles of women can lead to fertility anxiety in both married and unmarried women. This anxiety is shaped by factors such as social media use, intergroup emotions, fertility risk perceptions, and national policies. This study examines the interplay of these factors in understanding fertility anxiety among Chinese women.

METHODS: This study surveyed 607 young Chinese women using the Fertility Anxiety Scale developed by Zhang and Zhao. Mplus software was used for latent class analysis of respondents' fertility anxiety. A three-step approach with multinomial logistic regression was used to explore factors influencing fertility anxiety among married and unmarried women.

RESULTS: The latent class analysis supported a two-category model: "high fertility anxiety" (65.70 % married, 53.70 % unmarried) and "low fertility anxiety" (34.30 % married, 46.30 % unmarried). Multinomial logistic regression showed that increased social media usage intensity and perception of health-family risks correlated with higher fertility anxiety in both married and unmarried women. Among unmarried women, intergroup emotions and perceptions of occupational-economic risks also influenced fertility anxiety. Attention to national policies did not significantly impact fertility anxiety among young women.

CONCLUSION: This study sheds light on the complex interplay of societal and individual factors in shaping fertility anxiety among young Chinese women. It underscores the enduring cultural significance placed on female fertility and the evolving roles of women in modern China. Regardless of their marital status, both married and unmarried women experience fertility anxiety, highlighting the pervasiveness of this concern.